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Razer's updated Blade gaming laptop has a slimmed-down design
The gaming show GDC has just begun, and Razer used the opportunity to unveil the fifth generation of its popular Blade gaming laptop. The new edition will offer significant performance improvements over its predecessor from 2014, with fresh specs that include an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a GeForce GTX 970M GPU powered by 6GB of video memory, 802.11 AC WiFI and a PCIe solid-state drive. Additionally, the machine has a 3,200 x 1,800 QHD+ display and Chroma backlit keyboard, with a slimmed-down CNC-milled aluminum case that's less than three-quarters of an inch thick and weighs just 4.25 pounds.
The Blade is a 3D-printed supercar
3D printing technology has already revolutionized the aeronautics industry. Manufacturers can create lighter, stronger components at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional production methods. Now a San Francisco-based startup called Divergent Microfactories is trying to do the same in the automotive industry. To that end, the company debuted a 3D printed supercar dubbed "Blade", reportedly the first such vehicle to ever be additively manufactured.
Marvel Heroes adding Blade and a bunch of other badasses
Gazillion has announced the next batch of playable supes for its Marvel Heroes online action RPG. Upcoming characters include Doctor Doom, Iceman, Winter Soldier, Iron Fist, Blade, Black Cat, She-Hulk, Vision, War Machine, and Kitty Pryde. The firm hasn't said when the heroes will be available, but it is dangling a couple of pre-order deals which you can read about in the press release past the cut. [Source: Gazillion press release]
Razer Blade review (2014): a 'no-compromise' premium gaming laptop
More often than not, I feel like my feedback -- both as a customer and a writer -- vanishes into a collapsing singularity of customer service. And yet, I've never felt this way about Razer. When the company launched the original Blade gaming laptop, it was panned for being underpowered, so the company replaced it in the same calendar year. When that second-generation machine was written up for being too short-lived, a smaller machine with exceptional battery life hit the market. That machine was judged for having a middling screen, and so Razer answered its critics again, this time with the fourth-generation Razer Blade, a machine that brings more power, more features and a significantly better display. So, does it answer my biggest complaints? Let's find out.
Razer refreshes its Blade gaming laptops with NVIDIA Maxwell GPUs, multitouch support
"Thin and powerful" aren't words we tend to associate with gaming laptops; Razer has always been an exception. The company's Blade and Blade Pro laptops have been challenging our preconceptions for almost three years now, but the shadow of compromise has hung over each iteration of the product in some form or another. Last year, it was the 14-inch model's low-resolution display -- a thinly veiled bottleneck that kept gamers from over-taxing the machine's GPU. That won't be an issue for the laptop's 2014 refresh: Razer announced today that it's outfitting the Razer Blade with a 3,200 x 1,800 IPS panel with multitouch support, a Intel Core i7-4702HQ processor and NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 870M (3GB GDDR5) GPU. It's a loud answer to the issues we had with the last generation. It also takes it one step further from the new 17-inch Razer Blade Pro.
Razer puts 14-inch Blade up for pre-order
Razer teased us when it unveiled the 14-inch Blade last week: a rare blend of portability with gaming performance, and we couldn't even put money down? Well, we can at least do that now. The smaller of the two Blades is now up for pre-order, with prices ranging from $1,800 to $2,300 depending on the SSD capacity. Whatever the storage level, players are getting the same 14-inch 1,600 x 900 display, quad-core 2.2GHz Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and GeForce GTX 765M graphics. Any fresh orders should ship within two to three weeks, which fits just inside of Razer's promised launch schedule -- and just ahead of our summer vacations.
Razer's 2013 line of Blade laptops include 14" model, upgraded internals
Razer has unveiled the 2013 models of its ongoing Blade series of high-performance gaming laptops. In addition to upgrading and renaming the existing 17-inch model to the "Razer Blade Pro," the peripheral/PC manufacturer has also introduced a new 14-inch variant. Pre-orders for both rigs begin on June 3. Starting at $1,799.99, the 14-inch Blade is powered by a "future 4th-gen Intel Core" processor – otherwise known as a Haswell – eight gigs of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 765M. Its screen outputs at a resolution of 1600 x 900, and its data is stored on a SATA III SSD drive that comes in 128, 256 and 512 gigabyte flavors. Razer says the battery will last "up to six hours," and that its wireless interweb adaptor is "up to five times" faster than other wireless-N devices on the market. The new 17-inch Razer Blade Pro looks pretty much the same as last year's second-generation Razer Blade, though its internal bits have been upgraded to the 14-inch model's hot new digs and its starting price has been lowered by $200, down to $2,300. The Pro also includes an Ethernet port and Razer's proprietary capacitive multitouch LCD display/trackpad, two features that have been omitted from the 14-inch Blade.%Gallery-189866%
Razer Blade Pro and 14-inch models hands-on
It wasn't all that long ago that we first got our mitts on the Blade 2.0, and today we came to grips with two new third-gen Razer gaming laptops: the Blade Pro and a fresh 14-inch model. On the outside, both of these Blades favor their elders -- both sport matte black anodized-aluminum shells with Razer's trademark Slimer-green accents and diminutive power bricks. Where they differ from previous Blades is in what lies beneath that familiar facade.%Gallery-189862% Each will come with Intel's fourth-generation Core-i7 quad-core silicon (a 47W chip in the Pro and a 37W CPU in the 14-incher) and a freshly revealed NVIDIA GTX 765M GPU, plus bigger batteries than ever before. If it wasn't already obvious, let us spell it out for you: a big reason for these changes is electrical economy. One of the biggest complaints with any portable gaming rig is its battery life, or more accurately, lack thereof. A more efficient CPU and GPU, plus an extra 10 to 14 Wh of juice means that Razer is acutely aware of the problem and is taking steps to fix it. Razer ran the MobileMark 2007 battery test on the new 14-inch Blade and it lasted six hours. Of course, we'll have to wait until we review these new rigs to discover real-world battery life, but at least on paper, the two new Blades will be a bit more miserly.
Razer reveals the Blade Pro and 14-inch Blade gaming laptops (update: $999 Pro for indie game devs)
Razer promised it was aiming to iterate its Blade gaming laptop on a yearly basis, and despite the company's recent focus on tablets, it appears to be keeping its word. Today, a mere eight months after releasing the second-gen Blade, Razer unveiled two new members of the Blade family: the 17-inch Blade Pro and its 14-inch sibling. As you might expect, the Pro tops its elders with new silicon and storage options. It's exchanging third-gen Intel Ivy Bridge silicon for a fourth-gen Haswell chip and upgrading from an NVIDIA GTX 660M to a GTX 765M GPU. Oh, and Razer's nixed the HDD options from the big Blade's menu -- the Pro packs a 128GB SSD standard, with optional upgrades to 256 or 512GB. That new hardware is evidently smaller than what it's replacing: though the Pro shares the same size chassis as its predecessor, it packs a 74Wh battery (the older Blade has a 60Wh cell). Other than that, the Blade Pro comes with Razer's Switchblade interface, a trio of USB 3.0 ports, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 1920 x 1080 display, just like the prior Blade. Meanwhile, the new 14-inch Blade will come with mostly the same hardware as the Pro, meaning it's got a Haswell chip and GTX 765M graphics along with a buffet of SSD choices. Those components are stuffed inside a chassis that measures 13.6 x 9.3 x 0.66 inches, and weighs 4.13 pounds. Naturally, given its smaller size, it lacks the Switchblade LCD and buttons, has a 1.3 megapixel webcam (as opposed to the Pro's 2 megapixel unit) and a 14-inch 1600 x 900 display. And, despite its relatively svelte dimensions (for a portable gaming rig), the baby Blade still has a 70Wh battery inside. The Pro starts at $2,299, or $200 less than prior Blades and the 14-inch model will set you back a minimum of $1,799. Each will be available in North America in Q2, with a worldwide rollout of the Pro coming sometime later this year. Update: Good news, Indie game developers! Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan just announced that those devs with a successfully funded Kickstarter can get a new Blade Pro for just $999. %Gallery-189699%
Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party
I spy with my little eye... a trend! With last month's announcement of The Secret World's next update, I noticed a certain motif. It appears that beyond just adding new content, the conspiracy game is getting in on the party planning business, throwing themed bashes for players to enjoy. And the players themselves get to arrive as iconic guests of honor! While not making you the exact person, the two most recent DLCs effectively give you the chance to participate in adventures with the persona of a beloved and/or well-known character: Indiana Jones headlined Issue #6, and James Bond will be the star of Issue #7. That leads me to wonder: What -- or who -- will we meet next? We've already offered some suggestions for new locales for future TSW updates, so why not toss out a few ideas on the next major icons to represent? I know you all have some favorite role you'd love to slip into, so come add your suggestions to these possibilities.
Razer gives away custom Star Wars-themed Blade, may turn friends Imperial Guard red with envy
Razer has been big on Star Wars gaming gear, but never quite like this. Enter a free contest and there's a chance to win a completely unique Star Wars: The Old Republic version of Razer's Blade gaming laptop. The winner sees the system's normally black shell replaced with a matte, laser-etched aluminum gray and the green backlighting dropped in favor of a subtler yellow matched to the MMORPG logo. Anyone who brings out this portable at a bring-your-own-computer gaming party is inevitably going to be the center of attention, although we have a feeling some would almost prefer the second-place bundle of peripherals -- at an estimated worth of $15,000, the Star Wars Blade might be too precious to carry for all but the most well-heeled of fans.
Second-generation Razer Blade laptop sharpens its edge with GTX 660M, unannounced Core i7 CPU
The 17-inch behemoths that call themselves gaming notebooks are traditionally quite large, trading extreme performance for substantial bulk. These machines routinely flirt with double digit weigh-ins, and flaunt meaty 1.5-plus inch bezels. They represent a unwieldy reality in portable power that most gamers have learned to expect. Not Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, however -- he's still chasing the dream: thin, powerful and sleek. Tan caught up with us this week to brief us on the next generation Razer Blade, a rig that still boldly claims to be the "world's first true gaming laptop." Razer's first laptop hit shelves earlier this year, packing a 2.8GHz Core i7-2650M CPU and a GeForce GT 555M GPU into a svelte 0.8-inch aluminum shell. Tan explained that the rig's attractive hull hadn't changed much, but its internals sure have. "The Blade was our first laptop, and we've taken feedback really seriously since then," the CEO told us. "We've been listening to gamers and made a chart of all the pros to keep, and all the cons to address. Every single one of them." That chart eventually mapped out the refreshed rig's internals, which include an unannounced Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M graphics, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 64GB of fast-booting solid state storage. All this comes in the same aluminum shell as the first Blade, of course, sporting a 17.3-inch high definition display and the firm's exclusive multitouch LCD Switchblade interface. Tan says the new build addresses some of our own complaints too, noting that the sticky hinge that plagued our review unit has been tweaked to bend to a lighter touch. The machine's internal speakers have been upgraded as well, and are said to be 250% louder with no distortion. The new Blade's sharpened specs will come with a price cut, ringing in at a penny under $2,500 -- and gamers who picked up its predecessor (which will be getting its own price cut, to $2,299), we were told, can snag one for $500 less. Pre-orders are slated to start on September 2nd, and should ship within 30 days. The new laptop is being unveiled for the first time at PAX Prime this weekend. Not in Seattle for Labor Day? Check out the official press release after the break. %Gallery-163950%
Check out Razer's Mechwarrior Online 'Artemis' prototype and other peripherals
Razer's E3 booth was fully stocked with both retail and prototype peripherals this year, the most interesting of which was the Artemis, an experimental controller array designed specifically for MechWarrior Online. The prototype, designed and built in a month, features a flight stick on the right, an array of buttons on the left and a 10 inch screen in the middle. Razer hopes to have a retail version of the peripheral ready sometime this year.The rest of the booth was populated by the company's ambidextrous, 8200 dpi Taipan mouse ($79.99, July), a Battlefield 3-branded, helicopter-style Blackshark headset ($129.99, July) and the Blade laptop, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.%Gallery-157589%
Engadget evaluates Razer Blade performance
Our fellow bloggers at Engadget have gotten their hands on the Blade laptop from Razer (the very first commercial fruits of that "Switchblade" concept seeded so long ago), and the unit gets some high marks, despite some significant flaws. The worst issue with the laptop seems to be the audio (the built-in speakers are so bad that Engadget suspected their unit was broken somehow), but in general the problem with the Blade seems that it's tuned for a mix of portability and performance, which means neither gets to be perfect.Yes, the Blade is sleek and super thin for a PC laptop, but it trades on that build by being a "gaming" unit that doesn't play StarCraft 2 on its highest settings perfectly. (see update) For the sticker price of $2,799, Razer traded a little too much performance for the admittedly impressive form factor.But while Engadget doesn't recommend the laptop wholeheartedly, the site does praise the Blade's "bright and delectably tactile" LED buttons. The article surmises we'll see those types of controls again soon, either in Razer hardware, or units from other device manufacturers.Update: Engadget has discovered that they didn't have the latest drivers for the graphics card, and with those, apparently Skyrim runs much better. Engadget is working on updated benchmarks for all of the Blade's performance aspects.
Razer Blade review
Typically, when a company wants to meet, you expect more of the same -- not a change in strategy, nor a decision to enter an entirely new product category. So when Razer wanted to meet us one bright, oddly cold San Franciscan morning last August, we certainly weren't expecting to meet its CEO, Min-Liang Tan, and we definitely weren't prepared to find a 17-inch prototype laptop, henceforth known as the Blade. Shaving puns aside, we listened to Tan proudly wax on about the results of nearly three years of development, much of which involved recruiting a bevy of talent from the now-defunct OQO. What they'd accomplished, according to Tan, was the "world's first true gaming portable." An audacious statement, sure, especially considering the Blade was to be Razer's foray into the PC market. No matter. Tan's impetus was clear: the outfit would cater to gamers who'd been left in a vacuum after formerly gaming-obsessed companies sold out, leaving the segment to languish. His angle, however, would be different. The Blade wasn't going to be a gaudy, gargantuan, no-holds barred device with outright performance in mind. No, instead the 0.8-inch thick aluminum beaut would attempt to straddle the worlds of portability with performance, seeking to hit a perfectly balanced middle ground. That sounded reasonable, but judging by reactions from most of you, the decision to stuff this $2,799 rig with a mid-range GeForce GT 555M card wasn't. Nor was the call to kit it with a paltry 320GB of rotational storage. Razer would rectify the latter in December, promising 256GB SSDs for all -- a concession that would push shipments back, well, until now. Still, even after toying with it briefly at CES, our impressions were ultimately shallow, as we couldn't get much of a feel for it in that controlled environment. Which brings us to the present day, and with Razer graciously airdropping a Blade onto our doorstep, does this experimental laptop stand up to its maker's gutsy claims? Or will those who've shelled just shy of three grand be sorely disappointed with its execution? Well, there's only one way to find out, and that's to join us past the break.
Razer Blade gaming laptop delayed until mid-to-late January due to SSD upgrade
Eagerly waiting to get your hands on that nearly $3,000 Razer Blade gaming laptop? Then we're afraid we've got a bit of bad news. Razer confirmed this week on its Facebook page that the initial batch of shipments have been delayed until mid-to-late January (much like the also-delayed Tiamat gaming headset). That's due to a last-minute hard drive upgrade from the standard 320GB HDD to a 256GB SSD -- a switch that Razer says it's been able to do without increasing the $2,799 list price, but which it can't do without incurring a delay (it promises it'll be worth it). To keep the peace with gamers, Razer says it will gladly throw in a free Razer Orochi Blade Edition gaming mouse with your Blade laptop order -- details on receiving it can also be found on the company's Facebook page linked below.
ZTE V881 is Blade's successor, adds modest bumps in specs
We saw the ZTE Blade V880 make its official outing at MWC in February, and given how quickly sequels to other phones have been coming out this year we'd say it's ripe for a successor. Enter the ZTE V881, a device that essentially adds a +1 to a few of its parent's specs: a 3.8-inch touchscreen at WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, a Qualcomm MSM8255 CPU clocked at 1GHz, 512MB of RAM and a 5MP rear camera. There's no availability date as of yet, but it appears poised and ready to cost around 1000 yuan (around $160) when that time comes. Head over to our friends at Engadget Chinese for a couple more pics.
NerdHeist 2011: Razer Blade prototypes stolen from Razer R&D
After what we can only imagine was an exciting and Hollywood worthy laser-grid-circumnavigating vault heist, two experimental Blade prototypes have been stolen from a Razer research and development laboratory in the San Francisco bay area, according to a Facebook post made by Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan. It's unclear as to whether or not these were the only two prototypes, but it's safe to say that any loss like this is a significant one, and that the prototypes are worth far more than the $2,800 retail price originally quoted for the laptop. Tan is asking for anyone with information about the theft to send an email to cult at razerzone dot com. The Blade, revealed earlier this year at PAX, makes use of a proprietary user interface and LCD touchpad; trade secrets which Razer must desperately (and understandably) want to keep out of the hands of the competition. We're not saying this was corporate espionage, of course, but we are heavily implying that.%Gallery-131790%
Super Hero Squad Online introduces new heroes, reveals Challenge System screens
Time to assemble your heroes, Super Hero Squad Online players! A few new heroes are joining the ranks of SHSO's characters. Players can now take on the role of the telekinetic Psylocke, the arcane master Doctor Strange, and the quasi-vampiric vampire-hunter Blade. We've also got some new screenshots of the recently announced Challenge System, so head on to the gallery below to check out some shots of the new heroes and the Challenge System interface. And to get in on the action yourself, just fly, swing, or teleport your way to the game's official site. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release] %Gallery-93313%
Razer unveils $2800 'Blade' laptop
How long was Razer waiting to use that product name? Today, with its "PC Gaming Is Not Dead" countdown elapsed, the company unveiled its "Blade" laptop, billed as "the world's first true gaming laptop." What must Alienware think about that? The "Blade" uses the UI from Razer's "Switchblade" concept -- a set of ten adaptive keys and an LCD touchscreen built into the keyboard, which can be used either as a touchpad or to display in-game information. What it doesn't use from the Switchblade is the compact form factor. This laptop has a 17" LED-lit screen and weighs around 7 pounds. That's light for a gaming laptop, but heavy for a thing you're carrying around. It packs a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M with 2GB of video memory. All those big numbers bring another one: the Blade will retail for $2799.99 when it launches in North America in Q4 of this year.%Gallery-131790%
